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AIPROPX ReportYahoo Sports · 1h ago
Signing bonuses for Ole Miss baseball players, recruits in 2026 MLB Draft
OXFORD — Ole Miss baseball is positioned to retain one player from its 2026 MLB Draft class .
The Rebels had eight players and two incoming signees picked in the draft. It was a pitcher-heavy class for Ole Miss, even with Hunter Elliott pulling out from the MLB draft and returning. Top Ole Miss pitchers Cade Townsend and Taylor Rabe were taken in the first round.
Both signees and seven of the eight players have signed with their MLB teams.
Relief pitcher JP Robertson is the lone holdout. The San Francisco Giants drafted Robertson in the 20th round with the No. 598 overall pick. He is coming off his redshirt sophomore season as a bullpen arm where he made 22 appearances and had a 4.34 ERA.
The deadline for drafted players to sign is 4 p.m. CT July 27. Here are the details on where each Rebels player has signed.
Ole Miss players selected in 2026 MLB Draft
Cade Townsend, pitcher
Drafted: Chicago Cubs (Round 1, No. 23 overall)
Pick value: $3,947,600
Signing bonus: $3.1 million
What to know: Townsend signed for about $950 thousand below slot value. The Cubs drafted him to anchor a pitching-heavy draft. The Cubs used 16 of their 21 picks on pitchers.
Taylor Rabe, pitcher
Drafted: Kansas City Royals (Comp Balance Round A, No. 30 overall)
Pick value: $3,190,500
What to know: Rabe broke out as a dominant strikeout pitcher in 2026. He rocketed up the draft board through the NCAA Tournament and was drafted high enough to trump returning for his redshirt junior season.
Taj Marchand, infielder
Drafted: Tampa Bay Rays (Comp Balance Round A, No. 33 overall)
Pick value: $2,970,200
What to know: Marchand, 17, is a 6-foot-2, 200-pound player from James Island in South Carolina who profiles as an infielder. He impressed with power in his right-handed bat.
Cole Prosek, utility
Drafted: Chicago White Sox, (Round 2, No. 41 overall)
Pick value: $2,446,100
What to know: Prosek turned into one of the most exciting high school prospects and signed well above slot value to begin his professional career. He is the reigning Mississippi baseball player of the year .
Hudson Calhoun, pitcher
Drafted: Texas Rangers (Round 4, No. 117 overall)
Pick value: $664,500
What to know: Calhoun signed his contract with the Rangers on July 21. It was under slot value, but enough to lure him away from returning to Ole Miss as a senior. Calhoun has a fastball that can get into the high 90's and throws five pitches.
Wil Libbert, pitcher
Drafted: Atlanta Braves (Round 5, No. 144 overall)
Pick value: $511,400
What to know: Libbert declared as a draft-eligible sophomore and signed with the Braves for slightly less than slot value. He had a 6.19 ERA in 48.0 innings pitched.
Landon Koenig, pitcher
Drafted: New York Mets (Round 8, No. 240 overall)
Pick value: $232,100
What to know: Koenig had eligibility to return to college but signed with the Mets to start his professional career. He was a reliever in his one season with the Rebels, and had a 6.35 ERA.
Landon Waters, pitcher
Drafted: Toronto Blue Jays (Round 17, No. 522 overall)
Pick value: $150,000
What to know: Waters signed with the Blue Jays on July 17. He began his career by playing two seasons at Meridian Community College and will now look to climb the ladder professionally.
Austin Fawley, catcher
Drafted: Atlanta Braves (Round 19, No. 562 overall)
Pick value: $150,000
What to know: The Braves signed all 21 of their picks, including Fawley. He has plenty of pop, but he'll have to cut down on strikeouts to succeed in the MLB. By signing, Fawley passed on his chance to set the Ole Miss baseball home run record in 2027. He had 34, 17 behind Judd Utermark.
JP Robertson, pitcher
Drafted: San Francisco Giants (Round 20, No. 598 overall)
Pick value: $150,000
What to know: Robertson is the lone unsigned player in the San Francisco Giants draft class.
Sam Hutchens covers Ole Miss for the Clarion Ledger. Email him at [email protected] or reach him on X at @Sam_Hutchens_
SigningOle MissMLB DraftHereThe RebelsHunter ElliottMLBTop Ole MissCade TownsendTaylor RabeBothRelief
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